Erasable tracing devices



April 25, 1967 c $M|TH ERASABLE TRACING DEVICES Filed June 8, 1964 INVENTOR.

0 M Jifornqya United States Patent Ofifice 3,315,378 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 3,315,378 ERASABLE TRACING DEVICES Charles B. Smith, 4157 N. Clarendon Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60613 Filed June 8, 1964, Ser. No. 373,465 7 Claims. (Cl. 35-61) My invention relates to devices for the amusement and education of children, and more particularly to means which are usable temporarily for writing, sketching or game purposes. A common device for receiving writings or sketches which are erasable is the time-honored slate. However, writing or sketching on a slate with a hard crayon is often indistinct; and crayons become broken or lost. If chalk is used, an eraser must be kept handy; and an erasing operation creates dust and often leaves the slate messy in appearance.

It is possible to use a variant of the slate-and-crayon facility for erasable tracing purposes. Thus, when a transparent pane of glass or plastic substance is coated with a soft powdersuch as powdered aluminum-a stylus or other pointed objects may be used on the coating to trace lines of any form or direction on the pane to create words, characters or illustrations. The stylus clears away the coating in its path, defining the data traced on both sides of the glass or plastic pane. However, when the data is no longer needed, it can be erased by simply shaking the glass or plastic pane from side to side while in the horizontal position. This action shifts the powdered substance on the upper face of the pane to re-fill the line grooves traced by the stylus and wipe out the writings or illustrations on the pane.

Since a soft, powdered substance used as just described must be confined in order not to spill or spread over articles in the immediate vicinity of the device, an environment for mounting a stylus in relation to a coated pane for tracing data as described is an important consideration, and it is therefore one object of the present invention to develop a plastic pane with an enclosure which receives the stylus for application at all points and lateral movement in all directions to trace the desired lines, characters or illustrations.

A further object is to form the outer portion of the enclosure as a flexible or distortable cup disposing the stylus in a manner to be manipulated from the outside to perform its tracing operations inside the enclosure.

Another object is to combine a container for the transparent pane with an outer flexible cup in marginallysealed relation, whereby to confine the powdered substance against escape or leakage.

A better understanding of the invention may be gained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the tracing device in readiness for use and in facing relation with a mirror;

FIG. 2 is a section of the tracing device on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and as positioned before or after use; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the device as seen in FIG. 1, but extended to start a tracing operation from the left-hand side.

Referring specifically to the drawing, 10 denotes the pane which forms the front of a transparent plastic container 11 approximately 10 by 12 inches in size.

The back side of the container receives a conical cup 12 of elastic rubber, such as is used for toy balloons. The margin of the cup 12 conforms to the back side of the container 11, and may be extended with a rim 12a overlapping the sides thereof, such rim being cemented or otherwise hermetically sealed to the container.

The vertex of the cup 12 is perforated for the insertion of a hard rubber stylus 15 with a sealed fit, the outer or head portion 15a of the stylus serving as a fingerhold when the use of the stylus is desired. Before the cup is applied to the container, the latter receives a small amount of powdered aluminum: 17. To prevent the latter from forming small lumps by reason of its softness, a small additive of a harder substance, such as granulated sugar, may be mixed with the powdered aluminum to lend the latter a fluid consistency, the additive not being so hard as to scratch the pane 10'.

Before the device is used, it is proper to position it as in FIG. 2 with the frontal pane 10 down. By shaking the device from side to side the powdered internal sub stance 17 is spread to completely coat the inner face of the pane 10. The stylus is preferably held high as this is done, in order that it may not drop into contact with the pane 10.

In order to use the device, it is turned to the upright position shown in FIG. 1 while the stylus is held back as stated before. If tracing is to be started at the left lower part of the pane 10, the stylus is drawn accordingly, as seen in FIG. 3, the elasticity of the cup 12 permitting its elongation toward the left as shown. The stylus may now be pressed forward into internal contact with the pane 10 and maneuvered laterally to trace lines on the same in any form or direction desired.

If the data traced with the stylus is a sketch or unitary illustration, its progress as it is being drawn may be watched by turning the device to a point where the outer face of the pane 10 is visible to the user. When the s \etch is finished it may be viewed directly by turning the device around to face the user. Or, the device may be supported with the pane 10 facing upwardly, and the progress of the sketching or lettering done from underneath noted. However, if writing or lettering is traced on the pane 10 from the rear, it will appear backward when viewed from the front. In this case a handy mirror may be used as an accessory. Thus, a plate 19 of highly-polished aluminum or chrome, with struck-out easel props 19a, may be set up as shown in FIG. 1, and the writing read while in progress or after it has been finished, without changing the position of the device. Of course, the mirror may also be used as a guide when a sketch is being traced on the pane 10.

It will now be apparent that the improved tracing device enables any kind of marks, symbols, writing or pictorial matter to be traced on the pane 10 in any form or direction by simply pressing and maneuvering the stylus 15; and the addition of the frontal mirror 19 enables the traced data to be seen identically as executed by the user. When the traced representation is no longer needed, it may be elfaced by simply tilting the device forward to the horizontal position of FIG. 2, and shaking it sidewise to level the loose substance inside, as stated before. A tracing device is thus had which is quite simple in form and operation, and which may be used for practice or amusement to produce writings and illustrations. It may also serve in contests or games where quick erasing is desirable for changing graphic data. Finally, the devcie is a one-piece assembly, and its use is easily learned by children who have writing or sketching ability.

I claim:

1. An erasable tracing device comprising a container having a transparent pane in one end, and a closure of elastic material for the other end, the container adapted to receive a powdered substance suitable to form a coating on the inner surface of the pane, and means carried by the closure and operable to trace line data through said coating on said inner surface in any direction.

2. The structure of claim 1, said other end having a rim, and the closure being cup-shaped with its rim sealed to that of the container.

3. The structure of claim 1, the closure being of a rubber material.

4. The structure of claim 1, said means being a stylus directed inwardly from the closure.

5. The structure of claim 1, said means being a stylus directed inwardly from the closure, and a handle for the stylus extending outwardly from the closure.

6. The structure of claim 1, said means being a stylus perforating the closure in sealed relation, the inner portion of the stylus being directed toward said pane, and the outer portion serving as a handle.

7. A tracing device comprising: a container including a transparent panel; a powder-like substance in said container for forming a temporary translucent or opaque coating on the inner surface of said transparent panel and into which coating inscriptions can be made visible from the exterior surface of said panel; said container including a closure member distortable in at least a plane parallel to said inner surface; and inscribing means projecting through said distortable member and movable therewith for scribing'inscriptions on said coating to be viewed at the exterior surface of said container.

ENGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. 15 H. S. SKOGQUIST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ERASABLE TRACING DEVICE COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING A TRANSPARENT PANE IN ONE END, AND A CLOSURE OF ELASTIC MATERIAL FOR THE OTHER END, THE CONTAINER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A POWDERED SUBSTANCE SUITABLE TO FORM A COATING ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE PANE, AND MEANS CARRIED BY THE CLOSURE AND OPERABLE TO TRACE LINE DATA THROUGH SAID COATING ON SAID INNER SURFACE IN ANY DIRECTION. 